The AYV Awards Poetry Winners: The Power of Today’s Youth

Posted by Patricia Cogley on August 5, 2014

The combination of words, images and music can be a powerful medium to inspire and ignite change. This year’s winners Adobe Youth Voices Awards Poetry winners bring together their creativity, passion and talent to encourage us to overcome obstacles, embrace individuality and protect the planet. Read on to find out what inspired each of these students to make a difference.

Challenges and setbacks happen, no matter how old you are. The ability to overcome adversity, however, is often what makes us who we are. Mihai Tiu, a 16-year-old student in Romania, chooses to expresses his occasional feelings of disappointment and insecurity through poetry and digital media. “Art is the most important kind of expression for a human being,” he says. “No matter how hard life gets, we are strong enough to overcome any obstacle.” In his award-winning short film, Mihai shares the story of how he improved his self-esteem and discovered his drive to create. Watch his video below and tell us on Twitter how you express yourself using the hashtag #AdobeYouthVoices.

Pollution affects over 100 million people around the globe and is one of the world’s biggest killers[1]. AYV students Joseph Steve Jiménez and Randall Quesada use their short film, Destination: Earth, to remind others that environmental conflict is preventing us from preserving this beautiful place we all call home. Watch their poignant video below to see how Joseph and Randall are trying to help preserve this Earth in the face of adversity, then share photos of how you’re doing your part using hashtag #AdobeYouthVoices.

28% of today’s teenagers have experienced bullying and over 70% of teens have witnessed bullying in their school[2]. Gyanna Adino and Joanah Diala wanted to address this head-on through their short poetry film. “What makes you different is what makes you who you are,” say Gyanna and Joanah. See how they use the power of words, images, and music to celebrate confidence and diversity in We Are: